Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-11-10
THE NORTHWEST
THE GENTEHHlll HISTORY Of OHIO.
lcepyri0A'sd. AHr'oAts rsssrvsa.l
"HoBsoN's cHoIcE.p

AANEA nCaA luC DHIIlD NH.
called "Hobson's Choicen by Wayne
as i was the only suitable place fol
that object. In the fall after the de,
parture OF the troops, the smallpox
broke out In the garrison at Fort Wash
ington, and spread with so much
malignity that nearly one third of the
soldiers and citizens fell victims. So Il
will be seen, that the embryo city had
adangerous infancy and a precarious
existence In that early day.
lnJanuary, 1872, the territorial legis.
Iature Incorporated the town, and the
following officers were appointed
David zeigler, President; Jacob Burnrt,
Recorder VIM. Ramsey, David f.
Wade, Chas. Avery, John Reilly, VIM.
Stanley, Samuel Dick, and VIM.
Rufiner, Trustees. In 1895, the town
contained 04 cabins, 10 frame houses,
and about 500 Inhabitants. In 1900 the
population was estimated at $50, and in
1910 It was 2,540. In 1919, charter
was obtained from the State Legisla-
ture, by which Cincinnati was incor-
porated as city.
In 1888 1t having been discovered that
the Territory contained a population of
5000 white male inhabitants, and was
therefore entitled under the provisions
of the Ordinance, to a change IN the
form of government, Governor st. Clair
took the necessary action to effect it,
He issued proclamationcalling ON the
legal voters to elect Representatives to
o General Assembly and naming Gin
cinnati as the place of meeting. Only
freeholders in fee-simple of fifty acres
within the Territory were allowed to
vote; and the Representatives must
own tive hundred acres. The Repre-
sentatives met at Cincinnati on the 4th
OF February, 1893. This Legislature
adjourned to meet on the oath of Sep
tember, when the two houses were
organized and ready to proceed to busi-
ness. Although the first General
Assembly was composed of men of
ability and education, yet the work of
forming the most important of the laws
devolved almost entirely upon Judge
Burnet, one of the five appointed as
legislative council.
JUDGE JACOB BURNETT.
Mr.. Burnet was of Scotch descent, a
native of New Jersey and graduate of
Princeton College. He was thoroughly
read In the law and had acquired a
large practice in the Territory. He
possessed judicial mind and expressed
himself with perspicuity. Now, after
nearly a century has elapsed, and the
work is passed in review, 1t must be re-
garded as a happy circumstance that
Jacob Burnet was a member of that
first Legislature, Judge Burnett's
"Notes on the Settlement of the North
west Territory" is one of the most
valuable works extant on this topic.
We have had frequent recourse to it in
the preparation of this work.
PRESIDENT WILLIAM HENRY HARRI-
SON.
We have already referred to the ap-
pointment of VIM. H. Harrison as
Secretary of State of the Northwest
Territory, succeeding Winthrop Sergent
Regarding this, the editor of the st.
Clair paper says:
Between the Governor and the new
Secretary there were no such ties-no
bond of sympathy. They belonged to
opposite schools. The one was growing
gray; was accustomed to Difference
from others; and held tenaciously to
the political opinions formed amid the
surging elements of Revolution in the
camp of Washington. The other,
young and ambitious, was ready to
sympathize with any movement that
had for its object the changing of the
old for new order of things. Hence,
itsoon came to pass that the Secretary
formed plans about which he did not
consult the Governor" He was then
twenty-four years of age. He served in
this capacity for one year when he was
elected Delegate to Congress, by
vote of eleven to ten cast in favor of
Arthur st. Clair, jr. The office of
Secretary of State was filled by the ap-
pointment of Chas. w. Byrd, on the
Both Of December. Mr.. Harrison made
an active and able Congressman. At
this session, the Territory of Indiana
was erected from the Northwest Terri
tory, and Mr.. Harrison was elected as
its Governor. With Col. John Gibson
of Pennsylvania as Secretary. VIM.
Mcmillan of Cincinnati was elected to
fill the unexpired term of Harrison in
Congress, and Paul Fearing of Marietta
for the ensuing term.
The act which divided the territory
also removed the seat of Government
from Cincinnati to Chillicothe, where
the second session of the Territorial
General Assembly began, on the first
Monday In November, 1900. When|
the Territory was:.divided in 1900, new
faction was formed for establishing the
permanent seat of government at
Chillicothe as well as to make such
changes In the form of the Territorial
Government MS should vacate the of
6ces held, and let in the new genera
tfon. This was the beginning Of party
spirit in the State, and would involve
us in needless controversy, so we shall
emit extended mention. One of this
notable faction declared: "We shall
never have fair play while Arthur and
his knights of the Round Table sit at |
the head, and yet there are Republicans
who recommend his continuance. -
Astonishingv' The intrigues were so
we'll advanced that they eventually |
resulted in his removal from office, and
Gov. st. Clair returned to his old home
at Ligonier, Pennsylvania, where he
died in impoverished circumstances, in
August, 17l8, in his eigety-fourth year. |
The best tribute of his sterling worth |
and characteri is found in "The st. Clair
Papers, complied by DR.. VIM. III.
Smith, which closes with glowing
eulogy upon the sturdy pioneer and |
veteran statesman.
VIM. H. Barrison was the youngest /
of the three sons of Benjamin Harrison,
of Berkley, Virginia, at which place
the subject ofthis sketch was born, in